Santacruz man killed for Rs 2.5 lakh

The Santacruz police arrested two persons on Sunday for murdering a 40-year-old milk distributor for Rs 2.5 lakh.

The victim, Jagdishandra Nagdah, a Santacruz resident, had gone missing on October 25, 2009. The accused, Pushkar Jaat (22) and Satyanarayan Lohar (20) confessed to the robbery and killing.

“They have been booked for murder, robbery and for destroying evidence. Both hail from Rajashtan and worked as milkmen. While Jaat worked under Nagdah and stayed at his house, Lohar resided at Ghatkopar,” said K.M.M. Prasanna, deputy commissioner of police, Zone IX.

Prasanna added that the victim’s skeleton was found at Mira road creek. His family identified the body on the basis of his clothes.

Nagdah’s father, Lachhiram Nagdah (60) and brother-in-law Mohan Purohit (26) had lodged a missing complaint at Santacruz police station on October 26, 2009. “Nagdah had left his house around 9 pm saying that he was going for a religious function but did not return,” said an officer.

During investigations, police checked Nagdah’s cell phone records and zeroed-in on Jaat’s number. A police team then went to Rajasthan and brought Jaat to Mumbai for questioning during which, he confessed to the murder with Lohar’s help.

Police said Jaat quit his job in August after working as a delivery boy for Nagdah for nine months and moved to Bhilwara (Rajasthan). “Jaat came to know that Nagdah had sold off his house for Rs 10 lakh and the buyer had paid him the first installment of Rs 3.5 lakh,” sub inspector Bhaskar Pawar told HT.

Nagdah had once casually mentioned to Jaat that he intended to purchase gold jewellery for his wife but could not, as gold prices were very high. “Jaat told him that he knew someone who could get him gold at half the price,” he added.

Jaat called up Nagdah from Rajasthan and asked him to meet along with the money. Jaat and Lohar met Nagdah at Dahisar railway station and walked with him along the railway tracks till Mira road. Ensuring they were isolated, the duo then threw chili- powder in the victim’s eyes and strangled him with a nylon rope. After taking away Rs 2.5 lakhs in cash that Nagdah was carrying with him, they threw his body in the creek. Jaat then left for Rajasthan while Lohar went to Ghatkopar.

“Jat showed us the spot between Dahisar and Mira Road where Nagdah’s body was disposed off. Due to heavy mangroves in the creek, the body did not float away, and was fished out on Saturday. Lohar was arrested from his Ghatkopar residence,” said an officer.